Raise Chickens, Raise the Bar Has your longing for a rural past been cooped up now that you live in the city? Urban chicken coops continue to be more and more popular as cities adapt to this fast-growing trend. Even in our own backyard, laws have been adjusted to accommodate the desire to domestically raise chickens. After more than 1,000 people petitioned for the legalization of these backyard chickens in Sarasota, FL, where our corporate headquarters… Urban Chicken Coops
With summer right around the corner, we’re all ready to shake off the cold of winter and get the grill fired up for some homemade barbecue. If you’re like most people, your poly furniture has sat outside all winter, accumulating some dirt and grime along the way. Now is the time to get everything ready for another beautiful outdoor season and here are a few tips to get you started. General Cleaning and Maintenance If… Poly Furniture Spring Cleaning
Accent tables, whether used to hold a drink, set a magazine or prop up your feet, can also accessorize a room or communicate your design style. Changing your accent tables can turn a tired room into a furniture fashion statement. Here are some ideas for using accent tables to make a room pop. Different Textures Usually people don’t think about texture when they are designing a room, but it is often what adds excitement and… Accent Tables as Design Statements
The sofa or loveseat is often the largest piece of furniture in a room and sets the tone for the style of that room. We all can probably think of an example where a poorly selected sofa had bad effects on the feel and functionality of a space. With so many variations in size, design, and fabrics to choose from, here are some things to consider when buying a sofa or loveseat. Measure your Room and your… Sofa and Loveseat Buying Guide
Summer is nearly upon us, and it’s time to think about keeping the kids entertained through steamy summer days. We have many happy memories of school break and time spent interacting with friends or family before the distractions of electronics detached us to different corners of the house. Get the kids (and adults) away from the TV or video games with old-fashioned board games that offer some face-to-face bonding time as well. Aggravation Aggravation was first… Old-Fashioned Board Games for Summer Bonding
There may still be some patches of snow here or there, but summer is just around the corner. It’s time to start thinking about your outdoor spaces. You can create a magical, fairytale feel for your personal oasis with an American-made arbor. To some that may be an enchanting garden arbor with a swing to enjoy nights gazing at the stars, and for others it might be a crisp white wedding arbor overgrown with red… An Arbor for Any Space
Sometimes customers ask us how a company selling Amish furniture ended up in Sarasota, Florida. Though the furniture we sell is not made here (it’s made by Amish woodworkers in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio), Sarasota has a thriving Amish and Mennonite community. That’s one of the reasons why we’re here. During the winter months, the Sarasota enclave of Pinecraft busts at the seams with Amish taking breaks from austere winters up north. Tricycles (the mode… Meet the Amish Woodworkers: Albert Barkman
This post was updated on October 21, 2019. Broken links were fixed and some minor changes were made to the copy. Sure, you can look at bunk beds as the ultimate tower of fun for the little ones. But why not use the escapism inherent in bunking up to your advantage? Here, some very grown-up ways to make bunk beds a part of your home’s charm: Related Posts Making Room to Grow: Furniture for a Shared… Get Vertical: Bunk Beds that Take Space Saving to New Heights
3 Beloved Digs, 1 Voice to Listen to Do you think you know what your dining room style is? We’ve made it easier to recognize by helping you to listen to your gut, not the label. We’ll show you the picture of the room before identifying the style. A little tricky? Maybe, but we think it’ll help you decide on a style that is genuine to you, not to a preconceived notion. Word of caution: The photo that inspires you most… Which Zillow-Approved Dining Room Speaks to You?
This blog post was updated on February 4, 2019 with additional Murphy bed designs. Older homes are notorious for their compact, often complicated little bedrooms. Don’t let layout discourage you from creating a multi-functional room to use for exercise, overnight guests or–with the example below– an amazing work space. Read on, and see how Murphy Beds are a surprising solution to any number of bedroom bummers! Related Posts 5 Ways A Murphy Bed Saves You… Why We Love Murphy Beds (And You Should, Too!)
Your chosen color scheme is en pointe, your traditional bedroom set is positively sumptuous, and now your master bedroom could stand in proud company with a five-star hotel room. Only . . . you don’t particularly want a hotel room. You want a home. Your home. Let our designers show you how to lift a traditional bedroom set out of anonymity. Related Posts Outdoor Bar and Dining Furniture: What’s Hot in 2024 Outdoor dining and bar furniture is very popular in 2024. In… Bed and Bored? How Designers Revitalize a Traditional Bedroom Set
The Big List of Shed Landscape Ideas What do you use (or wish you could use) your outdoor storage shed for? An artist’s getaway? A gardening or tool shed? A spare space for guests to catnap? Or how about a child’s playhouse? Whatever its function, you’ll find a wonderful way to heighten its beauty (or conceal its, ahem, more rustic nature) in this comprehensive series of suggestions to landscape a shed. Related Posts Outdoor Bar and Dining Furniture: What’s Hot… The Big List of Shed Landscape Ideas
This blog post was updated on October 22, 2018 with new reading nook chair suggestions. Classic Combinations: Reading Nook Furniture that Eases You Into Fall Two simple things: a solid wood bookcase and a reading chair. Most homeowners will have versions of these hanging around the house, but together? Together they are an oft-overlooked, pleasing power couple. To wit: Related Posts For Your Summer Reading List If there’s one thing I love about summer, it’s shoving some… Classic Combinations: Reading Nook Furniture that Eases You Into Fall
A Brief History of the Windsor Chair Infographic and text, plus links below! Related Posts The Windsor Chair Series Part III: The Undying Appeal While the Windsor chair will always be associated with colonial times and country style furniture, the truth is, Windsor chairs Read more History of the Roll Top Desk “A place for everything and everything in its place” was the slogan that propelled the roll top desk to popularity Read more 5… A Brief History of the Windsor Chair {Infographic}
Creating a dazzling dining room begins with the perfect table. With so many designs to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start. So, since we’ve already tried to help out with what size dining table you might want, and also what dining table shape would fit, let’s try it one more way: What’s your dining table style? Here are four styles, by personality: Related Posts Are We Done with Dining Rooms? The popularity of the… The New Dining Table: Choosing Your Dining Table Style